There is no evidence Iran has a nuclear weapons program.
Just like there is no evidence that the CIA is outsourcing the torture of terror suspects in Eastern Europe.
But let's face it; both things are probably happening. You'd have to be pretty naive to think otherwise.
Regardless of whether America (or anyone) should be telling Iran what it can or can't do with it's nuclear program, I think we should think for a moment about what the ramifications of a nuclear armed Iran means --not just for Asia and the Middle East, but for the rest of the world as well.
[As a side note, the US is not the only country pressuring Iran on it's nuclear ambitions. The peace loving French and Germans are quite active in this political process. I find it peculiar that some people in the thread seem to think the US is alone on this position]
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and possibly even Egypt will become interested in their own nuclear programs. After all, Iran is keenly interested in exporting their own brand of Islamic theocracy throughout the Middle East and a nuclear armed Iran represents a fairly dire threat to the secular regimes in those places.
The mullahs in Tehran have pretty much always thought of these moderate governments often friendly to western interests were nothing but lap-dog puppet states and they have a strong desire to spark Islamic revolutions in those countries as well. The revolutionary groups in those countries will only become emboldened by a nuclear sponsor.
How would these countries react to an Iran that possess nuclear weapons?
I think this will trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and Asia which will be good for no one. Not just the US and EU, but also for ordinary people in the mid-east. It will also lead to more social strife in these countries that will eventually lead to the suffering of the people living there. Car bombs are just the begining, as the fanatics like to tell us.
Also, Iran tells us they are ready to transfer nuclear technology to other entities. Well that's great. I'm sure Israel is thrilled to know Hamas, Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad are waiting to take delivery of their 5 kiloton warhead sometime in 2010. If and when that happens, do you think it will do anything to ease the plight of the Palestinian people?
I doubt it. [Aside: IMO, Islamic extremists pay lip service to the Palestinian plight the way the Bush administration pays lip service to spreading democracy in the Middle East. Same bull&*t, different players.]
And so what would happen if one of these weapons made it to Tel Aviv? Or London? Or New York City? Some people may like to think it would be a great victory for the Islamic world. But nothing could be further from the truth because Iran would simply cease to exist as a country, which would serve the
people of that country not one bit.
For the record, I have no interest in the US enforcing the terms of the NPT on Iran. Dubya had me at Afghanistan, but lost me sometime in 2003.
I DO wish Iran's neighbors make some real attempts at making sure Iran remains true to the treaty, though. After all, they have the most at stake, IMO. But so long as America is playing the tough guy on their street, they could care less because it doesn't cost them anything.
Now I could be wrong about this. It is possible sometime in 2010 or whenever Iran declares itself a member of the nuclear club and nothing actually happens.
But I doubt that too.
Casio
So why should America be allowed to have them, but not Iran? The point always confuses me.
Still confused after
this post?
M
. I dont think Iran has nuclear weapons,. theyre probably just saying that to scare us or to make everyone think they have power. Wait... Im confused agin.... Can someone come back to the Israel thread? At least there I kinda know what Im talking about...
